Aston Martin AM-RB 001 Will Use Cosworth V12, Ricardo Gearbox
Aston Martin is putting together a dream team to build its next halo car.
In today's age, developing an actual hypercar is no small feat—especially after the Holy Trinity of hybrid halo cars from Porsche, McLaren, and Ferrari. But Aston Martin and Red Bull Racing think they can do it with their upcoming joint venture, the AM-RB 001. With the recent announcement of their technical partners, they may just do it.
To motivate the new hypercar, Aston is tapping Cosworth, the UK-based engine builder steeped in F1 history and global motorsport domination, to build the AM-RB 001's bespoke high-revving 6.5-liter V12. And, to augment the naturally aspirated power plant will be a hybrid battery system that will come from Rimac, the Croatian-based company known for their Concept-One, the fastest electric hypercar. Power will be sent through a seven-speed paddle-shift transmission that will come from legendary gearbox builder Ricardo, whose work can be found in the Ford GT, the Jaguar XJ220, the Bugatti Veyron, and McLaren, among others.
One of the goals RBR's Adrian Newey set for the AM-RB 001 was to have a 1:1 power-to-weight ratio: one brake horsepower per kilogram, like the Koenigsegg One:1. To keep the weight down, Aston is partnering with Multimatic, which the English automaker has used on its limited-edition One-77 and track-only Vulcan. The MonoCell will, of course, be made from carbon fiber.
Regarding the technical partners, Newey said, "Much like Formula One, designing, engineering and building a car like the AM-RB 001 is a massive team effort. To achieve great things you need to surround yourself with the best people. Experience, creativity, energy, diligence and perfectionism are absolute must-have qualities in every area of the project. Having great technical partners such as those working with us is both reassuring and motivating. Together we aim to produce an innovative piece of engineering art."
Aston Martin will only produce a total of 175 AM-RB 001s—150 of which will be road going, and the other 25 will be track-only cars.
